DIY: Concrete Garden Pond

by Valerie Liles

All you need to build a small concrete pond is a few supplies and a little yard space.

If you want a simple, inexpensive backyard water feature, consider building a do-it-yourself concrete garden pond. Unless you have a lot of help and some heavy duty construction equipment at your disposal, building a “small” concrete garden pond is the way to go. Assembling forms and reinforcement for a large pond can be tricky at best — not to mention the thought of mixing and pouring all of that concrete. To build a small, free-form pond, allow your excavated hole to shape the pond. All you need is an idea, a little space and a few supplies.

Preparation

When building your concrete garden pond, plan to make it about 2 inches thick. If you live in an area where it freezes and thaws frequently, the excavated hole should have at least a 3-inch sub-base of gravel. This helps to prevent frost heave, which is where the dirt has a tendency to push or displace anything buried above the frost line. Your poured concrete should cure for at least a week. Before you add water, coat the pond with a concrete sealer and allow it to dry completely.

Free-Form Shape

The advantage of going small is that you won't have to build or rent forms and install rebar to hold the pond in place. The hole you excavate determines the size, contours and character of your pond. You can begin with a general idea, form or shape, such as an oval, but to make it look natural, consider adding a few cutouts. You will also add edging later on, so keep that in mind. The sides of a concrete garden pond should gently taper or slope to support wet concrete as opposed to straight vertical cuts that you have to pour and dry in sections. Generally a small pond should be about 1 foot deep, but it's your pond, so you decide.

Concrete

The amount of concrete you need is based on the size of your pond; the package will give you an idea of how many cubic feet each bag covers. You also need something to mix it in, such as a wheelbarrow, and a source of water. Save your back by mixing the concrete near your excavated site; concrete is heavy, especially when wet. Consider adding coloring if you really want to add a little pizzazz, or add colored pebbles or ceramic chips after pouring the concrete, but before it dries.

Landscaping

After your concrete pond is poured, set, coated with a concrete sealer and dried completely, consider how you want to landscape it. If you want it to look like a natural stone watering hole, surround it with succulents, and low-growing, flowering ground covers. If you prefer a minimalist or Zen look, keep the lines clean by placing a large rock or boulder behind the pond and surrounding it with crushed granite or cobblestones. To make it look natural, bury the boulder at least an inch or two into the dirt to make it look like it's been there forever.

About the Author

Based in Atlanta, Valerie Liles has been writing about landscape and garden design since 1980. As a registered respiratory therapist, she also has experience in family health, nutrition and pediatric and adult asthma managment. Liles holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Colorado State University and a Master of Science in technical communication from the University of Colorado.

Photo Credits

Have Feedback?

Thank you for providing feedback to our Editorial staff on this article. Please fill in the following information so we can alert the Home Guides editorial team about a factual or typographical error in this story. All Fields are required.